Arc of Washington County offers various openings during job fair

Katherine Marsh drove from Frederick for a job fair at The Arc of Washington County in Hagerstown on Thursday.

“I am leaving a family-owned business because of budget cuts,” she said. “I have become active in the mental health aspect, so helping disabled people has piqued my interest.”

Marsh, 49, who said she was applying for a residential support position at the Arc, does volunteer work at Frederick Memorial Hospital.

The job fair Thursday offered 20 to 25 openings, said SueAnn McKendrick, recruiter for the Arc of Washington County. Area residents were able to apply on the spot for open positions.

McKendrick said the fair is a way to fill positions that “may be a little bit difficult to fill.”

“We even put the executive director position out there, so if there would be somebody that would come in for that, we would sure talk to them about it,” she said.

McKendrick said 70 to 80 people show up for the job fair, which the organization at 820 Florida Ave. has held twice a year for the past five years.

“Some major job openings are positions for direct care,” she said.

Anne Avey of Waynesboro, Pa., said that she is applying to work in the Arc of Washington County’s Stepping Stones program, which provides services to children and young adults who have autism or mental health issues.

“I’m looking to get back to working with children with autism,” Avey, 47, who has a master’s degree in Special Education, said. “I have experience working with disabled children, and I had recently been a general education teacher.”

The Arc of Washington County is an organization that provides services and support for people with developmental disabilities, according to its website at www.arcwc-md.org. Founded in 1952, it has 600 positions and serves 900, its website says.